Wearable audio devices typically include an earpiece configured to be worn at or near a user's ear. The earpiece can include a speaker that converts an audio signal into sound. Because the sound is generated in close proximity to a user's ear, the sound is fully audible to the user while still being inaudible or minimally audible to others around the user. For this reason, wearable audio devices are well-suited for use in public settings. Some wearable audio devices include one or two ear-supported earpieces. Examples of ear-supported earpieces include earpieces including earbuds shaped to extend into a user's ear canal and earpieces including hooks shaped to extend over a user's auricle. Other wearable audio devices include one or two head-supported earpieces. Examples of head-supported earpieces include earpieces at opposite respective ends of a headpiece shaped to bridge a user's head. Ear-supported and head-supported earpieces can be wired or wireless. Wired earpieces receive audio content from an audio player via a wire. Wireless earpieces receive audio content from an audio player via Bluetooth or a similar wireless communication standard. In a wearable audio device including a wireless earpiece, the wireless earpiece may still be connected to another earpiece or to a control element via a wire.
In the context of wearable audio devices, fidelity is often a key measure of performance. Consumers demand wearable audio devices that play music and other types of audio content with little or no interference, such as skips, noise, static, and crackling. Achieving high fidelity in a wireless earpiece is more challenging than achieving high fidelity in a wired earpiece. This is because an audio signal in a wired connection is received directly, whereas an audio signal in a wireless connection is received via an antenna. The antennas in conventional wearable audio devices having wireless earpieces are commonly known to be prone to interference. Correspondingly, the fidelity of conventional wearable audio devices having wireless earpieces is commonly known to be poor, and these devices have not yet achieved significant market penetration. In addition to fidelity, however, consumers demand convenient form factors that are inconsistent with use of wires. Accordingly, there is a need for innovation that, for example, allows the high fidelity conventionally associated with wearable audio devices having wired earpieces to be realized together with the convenient form factors conventionally associated with wearable audio devices having wireless earpieces.